What is the difference between tree peony and herbaceous peony? A quick guide to telling them apart
The biggest differences between tree peony and herbaceous peony are:
1. The tree peony is a shrub, with woody stems; apart from the current year's green growth, the other stems are brown; the herbaceous peony is a perennial herb, with herbaceous green stems, and all above-ground parts wither in winter.
2. The tree peony has bipinnately compound leaves, with leaflets broadly ovate to oblong-elliptic; the herbaceous peony has biternately compound leaves, with leaflets usually three-lobed, oblong or lanceolate, with long, pointed tips.
3. The flowers of the tree peony are borne at the tips of flowering branches, with flowers generally about 20 cm in diameter; the flowers of the herbaceous peony are borne singly at the branch tips or in the leaf axils near the tips, with flowers about 15 cm in diameter.
Tree peony image
I. Introduction to the tree peony
The tree peony is native to the mountainous areas of the Qinling and Daba Mountains in western China. It is a perennial deciduous small shrub that grows slowly and has a small stature. The tree peony is a precious woody flower unique to China. It has long been known as the "national beauty and heavenly fragrance" and the "king of flowers," and has long been regarded as a symbol of wealth, good fortune, and prosperity.
Herbaceous peony image
II. Introduction to the herbaceous peony
The herbaceous peony, also known by the aliases Jiangli and Licao, is a famous herbaceous flower of the genus Paeonia in the family Paeoniaceae. Its cultivation history in China exceeds 4,900 years, making it the earliest flower cultivated in China. It ranks first among herbaceous flowers. It is praised as the "fairy of flowers" and the "minister of flowers," and is listed as one of the "six famous flowers." It is also called the "May flower god." Because it has been regarded as the flower of love since ancient times, it is now honored as the representative flower of Qixi Festival.
III. Differences between the herbaceous peony and the tree peony
Tree peony flower image
1. The tree peony and the herbaceous peony belong to different categories
The tree peony is a woody plant that can grow up to 2 m tall, while the herbaceous peony is a short (perennial tuberous-rooted) herbaceous plant no taller than 1 m. The stems of the tree peony are woody, and the above-ground parts do not die after leaf fall; the stems of the herbaceous peony are herbaceous, and the above-ground parts die after leaf fall. For this reason, the tree peony is also called "woody peony," and the herbaceous peony is also called "boneless flower."
2. The tree peony and the herbaceous peony have different flower shapes
The flowers of the tree peony are all borne singly at the top, and the flowers are large; the flowers of the herbaceous peony are borne one or several at the top and in the leaf axils, and the flowers are somewhat smaller than those of the tree peony.
Herbaceous peony flower image
3. The tree peony and the herbaceous peony have different leaves
The leaves of the tree peony are broad, green on the upper surface with a slight yellow tinge, while the leaves of the herbaceous peony are narrow, dark green on both surfaces.
4. The tree peony and the herbaceous peony have different flowering periods
The tree peony blooms in late spring in the third month, and the herbaceous peony blooms in late spring and early summer. Their flowering periods differ by about 15 days, hence the saying, "Watch the tree peony three days after Grain Rain, watch the herbaceous peony three shines after Start of Summer."
5. The tree peony has richer flower colors than the herbaceous peony
The herbaceous peony's flower colors include white, yellow-purple, pink, and red, and rarely pale green, far less rich than the tree peony's flower colors.
6. Differences in stems
This is the essential difference between the herbaceous peony and the tree peony. The stems of the tree peony are woody, and the above-ground parts do not all die after leaf fall; the stems of the herbaceous peony are herbaceous, and the above-ground parts all die after leaf fall. For this reason, the tree peony is also called "woody peony," and the herbaceous peony is also called "boneless flower."
7. Differences in fruit
The fruit of the tree peony is a follicle, five-angled, containing 5-15 large seeds, brown, roughly round, orange-yellow when mature, turning dark brown when old.
The fruit of the herbaceous peony is an aggregate of follicles, 2-8 free follicles, spindle-shaped, elliptical, bottle-shaped, etc., smooth, with a small pointed tip, each containing 1-5 seeds, the seeds black or dark brown, round, oblong, or pointed-round.
Pink tree peony flower image
The above isthe difference between the tree peony and the herbaceous peonyintroduced. After reading this, everyone can clearly distinguish the tree peony from the herbaceous peony. We hope it is helpful to everyone.
What is the difference between tree peony and herbaceous peony? How to tell tree peony and herbaceous peony apart?
What is the difference between tree peony and herbaceous peony? How to tell tree peony and herbaceous peony apart? -- The tree peony and the herbaceous peony have long been known together as the "two wonders among flowers." They both belong to the family Ranunculaceae and the genus Paeonia. Some people say by way of metaphor: "The tree peony is the king of flowers, the herbaceous peony is the minister of flowers." People often plant the two together, so that the king and the minister of flowers bloom one after another, greatly extending the viewing period. The tree peony and the herbaceous peony look very much alike, like two sisters, so many people cannot tell them apart, or mistake the tree peony for the herbaceous peony, or mistake the herbaceous peony for the tree peony.
In fact, the tree peony and the herbaceous peony are different, and can generally be distinguished in four ways:Look at the stemsThe stems of the tree peony are woody, and the above-ground parts do not die after leaf fall; the stems of the herbaceous peony are herbaceous, and the above-ground parts die after leaf fall. For this reason, the tree peony is also called "woody peony," and the herbaceous peony is also called "boneless flower."
Look at the flower shapeThe flowers of the tree peony are all borne singly at the top, and the flowers are large; the flowers of the herbaceous peony are borne one or several at the top and in the leaf axils, and the flowers are somewhat smaller than those of the tree peony.
Look at the leavesThe upper surface of the tree peony's leaves is green with a slight yellow tinge and hairless, while the lower surface has a white bloom; the leaves of the herbaceous peony are deep green on both surfaces and the leaves are denser.
Look at the flowering periodThe tree peony blooms in late spring in the third month, and the herbaceous peony blooms in late spring and early summer, hence the saying, "Watch the tree peony three days after Grain Rain, watch the herbaceous peony three shines after Start of Summer."